Maintaining 48 year old tank with Diatom Filter

[Paul B]

I use a film container, (Google it) it's about an ounce. Every few days I add about 2 of them of alk and calc. Every few months, if I have time, I test it. That's my old school way of dosing. It has worked for fifty years so far.

 

[serwobow]

Pretty amazing. Do you skim? I am wondering where all the nutrients go, as well as toxins that might build up over time. Is periodic cleaning is the only form of nutrient removal from the water column? Other than fish and coral and other creatures, of course, which can also be good nutrient sinks. The UG filter seems more like a nutrient recycling method than a removal method.

 

[Paul B]

I do skim ans I change water maybe 5 times a year. The UG filter doesn't remove much, if any nutrients.
I also use an algae filter which is a mesh that hangs above the water with a light on it. I remove the algae off of that maybe every 3 weeks but that is a relatively new addition. Maybe 5 years old.